Chinese Studies Commons^™

He Rengao Super-Consciousness Imagery, A Global Touring Exhibition, Jun Dong

MA Projects

Focusing squarely on He Rengao’s long-developed visual philosophy, this exhibition will take the form of a solo presentation introducing Super-Consciousness Imagery to New York audiences. As one of China’s most established contemporary artists, He has spent decades refining a highly introspective and philosophically grounded painterly language. This exhibition aims to situate his mature body of work within an international conversation, foregrounding painting as a site where civilizational imagination, spiritual inquiry, and aesthetic experimentation converge. The exhibition title, Super-Consciousness Imagery, encapsulates two key elements central to He’s artistic practice; it refers to the expanded state of awareness the artist seeks to …

From Monasteries To The Market: The Legal And Spiritual Economies Of Himalayan Art In China, Hengshi An

MA Theses

In recent years, the Himalayan art market in China has shown a remarkable transformation, emerging as one of the most dynamic segments within the broader Asian art economy. While much of the global and domestic art market has stagnated, Tibetan and Himalayan artworks have achieved sustainable growth and high auction price with major collections been published, showing structural strength rather than speculative enthusiasm. This paper examines the drivers behind this phenomenon through a qualitative analysis of auction data, dealer networks, and collector behavior across key hubs in China such as Beijing, Chengdu, Shanghai, and Hong Kong. The findings suggest that …

Representation And Cross-Cultural Mediation Of Contemporary Ink Art In New York’S Primary Art Market: A Case Study Of Fqm Gallery, Mengtian Melody Yang

MA Theses

This study investigates the representation and cross-cultural mediation of contemporary Chinese ink art within New York’s primary art market. Using Fu Qiumeng Fine Art (FQM) as a core case study, the research adopts a qualitative methodological framework that integrates document analysis, visual analysis, and semi-structured field interviews to examine how the gallery operates as a cultural intermediary. It explores how FQM defines and frames “Contemporary Ink Art,” selects and presents artists, and translates the aesthetic and philosophical foundations of this tradition for Western audiences. The findings show that FQM positions ink art not merely as a medium-based practice but as …

Pearls Of Power: Navigating Empire And Kingship In The Nineteenth Century In Qing Dynasty China And Victorian England, Jinrui Chen

MA Theses

This thesis provides an academic exploration of the socio-cultural and political connotations of pearl jewelry during the Qing Dynasty in China and the Victorian era in England. It examines the symbolic prominence of the Eastern pearl within the Qing Dynasty’s hierarchical and imperial contexts, juxtaposing this with the emotional and personal resonance of pearl jewelry in Victorian England. The study employs an array of primary Chinese sources and insightful case studies to investigate the dynamics of pearl harvesting, consumption, and perception, thereby unveiling the diverse roles pearls played in these distinct societies. This comparative approach addresses a gap in existing …

The Development And Impact Of Jingdezhen’S Ceramic Live Streaming, Yiyi Wang

MA Theses

Jingdezhen is a renowned ceramic capital in China and abroad. Its porcelain
production dates back to the Tang Dynasty, reached its peak in the Song Dynasty, and continued to thrive during the Ming and Qing Dynasties, solidifying its status as one of the primary production areas for Chinese porcelain. Over time, Jingdezhen underwent social upheavals during the Republic of China period. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the porcelain industry underwent nationalization and modernization reforms, ensuring its sustained maintenance and development. Since the reform and opening-up, the porcelain industry in Jingdezhen has progressively embraced market mechanisms, incorporating …

Preventive Conservation Of Easel Paintings For Collectors In China: Navigating Challenges And Exploring Feasible Solutions, Di Lu

MA Theses

This thesis explores the unique challenges faced by art collectors in China, particularly those investing in easel paintings amidst the rapid growth of the Chinese art market. These collectors, often constrained by budget limitations and limited access to high-quality conservation materials and expertise, face significant risks in preserving their cultural assets. The study delves into these specific risks and challenges, aiming to identify feasible strategies for preventive conservation within the Chinese context. Through an extensive review of literature, qualitative interviews with conservators, collectors, and experts, and in-depth case studies, this research offers practical, cost-effective recommendations for alternative materials and methods …

The Moment Of Beijing, Zhang Yue

MA Projects

After a complete COVID-19 lockdown of three years, most Chinese people crave opportunities to replenish their already waned and suffocated needs in the cultural and artistic realm (21st Century Economy, 2023). Seeking this invaluable time to enhance city influence and cultural image, major metropolises, especially Beijing, actively appeal to various exhibitions, shows, and cultural tourism resorts. The scope is almost unprecedented: cultural tourism, music, art, fine art, creative art, and traditional produce harmoniously integrate and captivate thousands of people. People’s need for art and culture is here, and Beijing is ready to make full strides. It is at this critical …

A Metaverse Of Chinese Traditional Folk Villages And Houses With Great Aesthetic Pleasure: A Virtual World Dedicated To The Enthusiasts Of Life With Art, Culture, History And Architectures, Xiaobin Lin

MA Projects

Rapid growth of 3D visualisation technology has led to the maturation of metaverse, bringing innovative and immersive experiences to travellers and representing tremendous potential for revolutionising the tourism industry. Advantages of metaverse, plummeting cost of technology and emerging supportive policies are jointly building up a very promising future of metaverse in tourism. Big companies worldwide are heavily investing in metaverse. In China, Tencent SSV Digital Culture Lab has initiated the annual project “Explore Metaverse Plan”, providing a communication platform and exhibition opportunity for the small and midsize players working on the digitalisation of cultural and artistic heritage. Google Art & …

方• 圓 Between Square And Circle, Xin Tong

MA Projects

Since ancient times, rarely have there been any motifs that can transcend the fetters of time, space, race, religion, territory as well as tradition, becoming cultural symbols, cultural prototypes, and cultural conception in broad terms, while the Mandala being one of them, a prototypical motif with superb transcendence. As the famous Swiss psychologist Jung has mentioned in his book, The Secret of the Golden Flower, Mandala is a magic ring, which, being a symbol, is not only widely spread in the whole East, but also common in the Middle Ages of his place, and the East undoubtedly has the most …

From Micro To Marco: Jade Snuff Bottles In Qianlong Era, Jinpeng Wang

MA Theses

Emperor Qianlong, whose original name is Aisin Gioro Hongli, was the sixth emperor of the Qing Dynasty. Qianlong was one of the most famous emperors in Chinese history. As the word “Qianlong” means in Manchu, he was truly blessed by the god: the Qing Empire was already very strong when Qianlong came into power; meanwhile, Qianlong had a relatively stable outside environment. It allows Qianlong to be able to focus on pushing his own governing policy. Qianlong’s policy of agricultural development and tax reduction was very effective, under sixty years of reign, the empire has expanded its territory, and the …

Private Art Museum Backed By Hong Kong Invetment - Wan Fung Art Musem As An Example, Yiye Chen

MA Theses

The rapid development of private art museums in the world can be regarded as the epitome of global economic development. The Chinese government has given unprecedented support to the development of culture and art. As the world's second largest economy, China's middle class has been increasing year by year. The hot art market has attracted European and American auction giants, and famous galleries have entered the Chinese market. Since the birth of the first private art museum in China at the end of the 20th century, Chinese scholars have been constantly exploring the direction of development. From copying the European …

Story Of Twin Cities, Who Will Be The Next Storm Center Of Art Fairs?, Rui Bian

MA Theses

Since 2000, with the rapid development of China's economy, the evolution of contemporary art fairs in China has been accelerated. This paper takes two representative cities, Beijing and Shanghai, as examples. In the past one decade, Shanghai and Beijing have respectively led the trend of contemporary art market due to various internal and external factors. This paper uses PEST model to analyze, trying to find out who will be the next center of contemporary art in the next ten years.

The first part of this paper mainly starts from the differentiations in policies and regional distributions of Chinese contemporary art …